Slytherin Story
by The QAS
Summary: "The past few weeks had been but a blur. It wasn't until now that reality had finally sunk in. She felt as if her entire world had come crashing down. And, in a way, it had." Following the war, when her family is arrested, 15-year-old Astoria Greengrass is forced to stay with the Weasleys.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this idea has been bothering me for a while, and I decided to finally put it up. We never see any of Astoria's character in the books, but Rowling says that she married Malfoy. I decided to investigate how that played out, as well as what people thought of Slytherins after the war. Enjoy, I own nothing! **

* * *

**"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change."**

**-Mary Shelley, _Frankenstein _**

**F**ifteen-year-old Astoria Greengrass stood in front of the house. She hesitated before each step that she took as if it were painful for her to walk. She had never thought her life would come to this.

The past few weeks had been but a blur. It wasn't until now that reality had finally sunk in. She felt as if her entire world had come crashing down. And, in a way, it had.

A summer breeze ruffled the girl's long, auburn hair. She paid no attention as her locks began to fly all around her, blocking her perpetual vision. This was not unusual, for she hardly responded to anything these days.

She was brought back to reality after her pet kneazle, Venus, began rubbing at her leg, purring affectionately. Astoria blinked rapidly, as if just realizing where she was.

With her hand mere centimeters from the door, Astoria suddenly froze. For just one minute, she wanted to forget everything that had happened. For one silent moment, Astoria pretended that nothing had changed, that all was well, that her family was with her. That a boy named Harry Potter never existed. This, of course, was foolish. Everything had changed. Her family wasn't with her. And Harry Potter **definitely** existed.

She sighed loudly and looked down at Venus. _This is it,_ she thought bitterly, knocking on the door.

Almost immediately it opened. A plump woman with flaming red hair smiled at her. "You must be Astoria," she said. "Please, come in."

Astoria had half a mind to turn and run right then. But where would she go? Maybe she could stay with the Malfoy, their families had always been on relatively decent terms. Still, they weren't exactly the type to welcome her with open arms, plus they were facing problems of their own. Perhaps she could go to Nott's place. Theodore had always treated her like a little sister; but without parents he probably wouldn't be able to support her. Nott's family wasn't as rich as the Malfoys', and most of his wealth was likely confiscated by the Ministry anyway. Astoria knew in her heart that she was one of the lucky ones. Few families would be willing to take in someone like her, especially in such a gracious manner. Astoria should have been grateful. But she wasn't.

Knowing that she had no other choice, Greengrass reluctantly followed her hostess inside, with Venus trailing close behind. The was the last piece of her old life that remained.

The woman gave her a warm smile. "We're so happy to have you here with us," she said, "I . . . I only wish it could be under better circumstances." Astoria nodded, but said nothing. The woman tried to touch her shoulder, but she winced violently, not used to physical contact from strangers.

"I'm sorry, I imagine this is all so hard for you."

Astoria, feeling that she should say something, mumbled, "Thank you for taking me in." IT was the first time she had spoken.

"Oh on! It's no trouble at all, dear," the woman turned around towards a flight of crudely constructed stairs and shouted, "ARTHUR! GINNY! RON! GET DOWN HERE!"

Three more redheads came down the stairs, a man and two teenagers.

"Molly!" said the man excitedly, "guess what Kingsley got me?" he sounded like a giddy child. "It's called a _Boygame_, and it's all the rage with muggle youth now. Apparently, muggle children press these buttons and stare at the screen for amusement. Remember veletision? Well, this is like that, except portable and interactive!" He turned to Astoria, seeming to notice her for the first time. "Oh, hello. You must be Astoria Greengrass. I'm Arthur Weasley. Um . . . welcome to our home." He held out his hand.

Astoria looked at the man, her expression one of absolute disgust. She had heard about Mr. Weasley from some of the older kids, they had said he was a muggle-loving fool. Malfoy, in particular, seemed to have an endless supply of Weasley tales. Astoria had always suspected that he was exaggerating. Now that she had met the man for herself, any doubts of his sanity vanished; he was completely mental!

Arthur seemed to notice that she was not going to take his hand. He shoved it in his pocket awkwardly and began to whistle.

The girl stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Ginny," she said.

Ginerva Weasley was no stranger to the Slytherins either. Ginny was notorious for her short temper and nasty hexes, and of course, being the current girlfriend of Saint Potter.

Venus, deciding that she wasn't getting enough attention, chose that moment to meow loudly.

Ginny looked down. "And who's this beautiful girl?" she asked, reaching down to pet the kneazle.

Astoria stiffened. Venus did not take kindly to strangers touching her. Astoria had no doubt how she would react. Venus could be aggressive, even dangerous, when provoked. What would the Weasleys do if her cat attacked their daughter? Would they kick her out of the house? Or worse, make her get rid of Venus? No. No, Astoria would never let that happen. She would sooner have them throw her into the streets than take away her precious kneazle!

She was about to warn Ginny, when she saw that the ginger was already petting her. Astoria held her breath, waiting for the scream of pain. It did not come. Astoria couldn't believe it; not only was Venus tolerating the girl's touch, she seemed to _relish_ it!

Ginny smiled. "She's so sweet!" the girl gushed.

_Sweet?_ Astoria felt her cheeks become hot. She could think of several words to describe Venus, but "sweet" did not come to mind. Venus was clever, cunning, intelligent, and protective. She was not "sweet".

Molly turned to the last child, a boy around eighteen. "Say hello to our guest, Ron."

Up until this point, the boy had not said anything. He was far quieter than any of his family members. Astoria had almost forgotten that he was there at all to begin with.

Ron glared at her with a look of pure loathing. Astoria couldn't tell if it was directed at her, or at his mother. Maybe both. Finally, although it looked as if it was the last thing he wanted to do, the boy grunted, "Hi." He turned around and made his way back up the stairs.

Mrs. Weasley said apologetically, "Sorry about him. Ron's just not used to you yet." She turned back to the girl. "Ginny, Dear, take Astoria's bags up to Bill and Charlie's room, would you?"

Astoria gripped her suitcases tightly, making it clear that she wanted to take the luggage up herself.

Ginny took the hint, but insisted that she at least show her the way up, and took the girl's silence as a yes.

The walk up the stairs was a rather slow one. Astoria, who had practically packed her entire room, lugged her bags along, using every last bit of her strength. Greengrass was forced to stop and break several times in order to catch her breath. Despite all of this, she refused Ginny's constant offers to assist her.

As the girls walked up the stairs, Ginny tried to make conversation, but to no avail. She complimented Astoria's shoes, mocked Professor Trelawney, and even spoke about the weather. Astoria remained as unresponsive as ever, no so much as uttering a single word for most of the way.

Ginny sighed. She felt as if she was talking to herself! Honestly, at the very least the girl could nod every now and then, or mutter the occasional "mm-hmm", or show SOME sign of acknowledgement. But Astoria did not. She just continued walking, staring straight ahead. Her eyes were unreadable and face expressionless, like a living corpse. Ginny shuddered slightly at the thought. After several more futile attempts at conversation, she fell silent as well.

They had nearly reached the top, when Astoria tripped a stumbled, sending several of her suitcases thumping down the stairs. She groaned and began making her way towards them, but Ginny beat her to it. "I'll take these," she said, "you can carry the rest. We're almost there, anyway."

She thought Astoria would protest, but was not prepared to take no for an answer. Instead, the words that came out of her mouth were rather unexpected. "What's he like?" she asked.

"Whom are you referring to?" Ginny asked, puzzled by the girl's question.

Astoria rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. "Harry Potter, of course." Merlin, was she really that thick?

"Oh." Ginny said, feeling a bit stupid. "Yeah, him." Weasley hesitated, unsure of what to say. Astoria was probably one of the more pleasant Slytherins she had associated with. Yet again, that wasn't exactly saying much. Slytherins were known for twisting people's words around, and didn't want to start any rumors about her boyfriend. So should she answer? The question was kind of personal, and the girl hadn't exactly given her a reason to trust her. Ginny thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully before answering. "He's alright. Harry's a great guy, sometimes a bit impulsive, but, hey, nobody's perfect."

Astoria appeared disappointed by this answer, which made Ginny angry. Why? What did she expect her to say? That Harry was an awful boyfriend who beat her? She wasn't even sure why she bothered answering to begin with; it was none of her business, anyway!

Neither said another word until they reached the room. By then, Astoria had resolved to her own, sullen self. Ginny handed her the two bags she was carrying, which the Slytherin quickly snatched and walked into her room without so much as a thank you.

* * *

_Dear Theo,_

_ I'm sure you've heard the news by now; I'm staying with the Weasleys, of all people (even one can even call them that.) Pathetic, isn't it? I'm in the one place that every self-respecting pureblood hopes to never be. In many ways, it is worse than Azkaban. _

_ I will be returning to Hogwarts in September (Mother insists,) though I know it will never be the same again. Needless to say, I am less than ecstatic._

Astoria put down her quill for a moment, carefully contemplating her next words.

_I imagine Malfoy has it the worst;_ Astoria got an odd feeling in her stomach whenever she spoke of Draco. _He probably never wants to show his face again. I heard Potter testified for him in court, is that true? If it weren't for him, he most certainly would have ended up in Azkaban. I wonder why Potter would do that, I mean, he and Malfoy have always been enemies. Weird. Have you heard from him? If so, please send him my regards. _

She stopped again, hesitating before her next question.

_This may sound a bit personal, but I can't help but ask, how **did** you manage to avoid capture? The Ministry has been after the Slytherins ever since the war ended. I know that Malfoy was technically underage at the beginning of his trial; actually it was on his birthday, I believe, but that didn't stop the Ministry from trying him. Yet you, the son of a Death Eater, have managed to get a clean getaway, but you're not a fugitive (at least not as far as I know . . .)_

_Your third cousin, former neighbor, and ally, _

_Astoria Caroline Greengrass_

Astoria sent the letter off with the Weasley's owl, and sat on her bed, sighing, now horribly bored. She looked around the room. It was better than the horrible excuse for a suit she had been forced to stay in at the Leaky Cauldron with two other girls. It wasn't a particularly large room, but it was still bigger than she had imagined. People were always going on about how poor the Weasleys were, having more children than they could afford and whatnot. She had basically pictured them living in a box.

She searched for something to do. There were a couple of books on the shelves, but they were mostly empty. Astoria suspected that Phil and Marley, whatever their names were, probably took most of them when they moved out.

Astoria, being the nosey person that she was, decided to go through the drawers. Perhaps she would find something interesting, but she doubted it.

She proceed to do so, not finding much. In the end, she recovered a couple of broken chess pieces, a stale cauldron cake, two sickles, a knut, and even a couple of muggle pounds. Astoria pocketed the money and offered the pastry to Venus, who gave her an indignant look.

She sighed and threw the cake into the rubbish bin. She sat down on the and then stared into blank space until it was time for supper.

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**A bit of a slow chapter, but, I assure you, it gets much better after this. As for why exactly she is with the Weasley and what happened to her family, will be explained later.**

**Kneazles, the species that Venus is, is not of my creation. _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ states that they are a magical cat-like animal. They are known for their intense loyalty to one person and high intelligence. Crookshanks is half kneazle. **

**Please review and tell me what you think. I appreciate honesty, especially if it can help me improve my writing, so constructive criticism is always welcomed.**


	2. Chapter 2

**To my lovely reviewers:**

**Books_Don't_Just_Tell_Stories: Thank you, I'm glad you like it so far. **

**Drizzle_Wizzle: I actually wasn't thinking about that, but you're right, it's an interesting connection.**

* * *

Astoria did not say so much as a word over dinner She picked absentmindedly at her food, scarcely eating anything.

The Weasleys, for the most part exchanged stories and laughs. One of the other children, a boy named Charlie, was apparently visiting from Romania. Molly, Arthur, and Ginny were too absorbed in his dragon tales to notice that Ron was not listening. Ronald Bilius Weasley did not take his eyes off of Astoria so much as once to a point where it was beginning to make her uncomfortable. Astoria, deciding she wasn't that hungry anyway, quickly excused herself and headed upstairs.

When she got to the room, Astoria found an owl waiting for her on the windowsill. Had Theodore replied already? He was awfully fast.

She opened the window and snatched the letter greedily, eager to see the boy's response. But to her dismay, it wasn't from Nott. In fact, it was not addressed to her at all, but to Ron.

Partially out of curiosity, and partially for revenge, Astoria read the letter anyway.

_Dear Ron,_

_I have fantastic news! Professor McGonagall said that I could return to school next year so I can take my N.E.W.T.S. Isn't that just wonderful? _

_I got a friend for Crookshanks; he's a rescue from a local shelter. His name is Winston after Winston Churchill, England's muggle prime minister during the Second World War (the muggle one with Hitler, not Grindelwald.) He's a Russian Blue, I believe. I can't wait for you to meet him! Chrookshanks isn't quite used to his new companion yet, but I'm sure they'll be friends in no time._

_As you know, I have been working on relocating and reviving my parents. Merlin, I can't remember when the last time I used the Internet was. They recently invented this site called "Google" where you can type in just about anything you like and it will show up. I need to show it to you someday. Your father is welcome in my flat as well; I think he would be fascinated. _

_Harry is doing fine as well. I imagine the weeks have been rather hard on him; it's hard on all of us really. With the Slytherin crisis and whatnot. He's considering moving back to Godric's Hollow - - against my wishes, I might add. I think it may bring up rather unpleasant memories, don't you? Still, you know him. Once he gets his mind set on something, there's no changing it. Teddy said his first word yesterday, did you hear? Harry and Andromeda were pushing his buggy through the park where they saw a man walking an Irish wolfhound when he pointed at the animal and shouted, "woof." _

_Anyway, I really do hope you will join me next year. It'll be rather lonely having no one my age with me. _

_Love, _

_Hermione Granger_

_XOXOX_

"Aw," Astoria said sarcastically. "How sweet." She rolled up the parchment and went downstairs. The Weasleys were engaged in an intense game of wizard chess between Ron and Charlie. She cleared her throat.

Everyone turned to look up at her. Ron's eyes were on fire. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Ron!" Molly scolded.

"I just wanted to give you this note from the Mud - - I mean Granger," she said quickly.

Ron jumped up. "Did you hear that?" he cried. "Did you hear what she just called Hermione?" Ron's entire face was nearly as red as his hair/ he looked as if nothing would make him happier than Astoria dying a gruesome death right there and then.

Ginny and Charlie had to physically hold their brother back from charging at her like an angry rhino.

"Why are you taking her side?" he demanded. "Did you hear what she said? Did you?"

"She stopped herself," Molly pointed out, but even she sounded trouble.

Ron came up and snatched the letter out of her hands. "Why don't you just go back upstairs?" he suggested. "We all liked it better when you were gone."

Astoria did.

* * *

The next morning, Astoria woke up with a blanket on her face. No, wait, not a blanket.

"Ugh, Venus, get off!" she cried.

The kneazle meowed and jumped to the floor. She went over to the where she promptly began to scratch.

Astoria opened it, letting the cat run out and then closed it again. She didn't want to have to go down and face the Weasleys.

_They probably wish they never took me in,_ she thought rather bitterly. She knew that she couldn't stay in her room forever; she had to come down _sometime_. Her stomach growled in agreement.

Sighing dramatically, she made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. There she saw Arthur, Molly, and Ginny (Charlie had left late that night.) Astoria took a muffin and some pumpkin juice for her breakfast. She sat at the end of the table as far away from the people as possible. She was about halfway down when Ron came down the stairs, still looking mostly asleep. He bid his family a semi-intelligible good-morning, and walked past Astoria without a word.

He barely sat down, when there was a loud screech. "Ronald," his mother said, "be a dear and go get the mail."

Rom grumbled something and got up. He walked over to the window and after a couple of seconds groping for the latch, he opened it an the owl flew in. "Hey, Pig," he said, still sounding somewhat groggy, "what'cha got there?"

"I think it's for me," Astoria spoke up, realizing that she recognized the owl as the one she sent the letter to Nott from. "I'm expecting something from a . . . friend."

"Why would _your_ friend send you a note using _my_ owl?"

"Because that's the owl I sent to him."

Ron's eyes widened as if he had been punched. Suddenly, he no longer sounded tired at all. "You used _my_ owl?" she voice was shaking with rage, "without my permission?"

"I-I just assumed . . . "

"Well, you assumed wrong!"

"Can I have my note now, please?" she asked innocently.

Ron held up the letter. "I bet she's writing to all her Death Eater friends to plan a raid on us!" he looked around at his family members, shaking the letter for emphasis. "Don't you see? We're housing the enemy!"

"Ronald Bilius!" Molly cried, "Give Astoria her letter this instant. You are eighteen years old and it is about time you started acting your age!"

He obeyed, but not before giving Astoria another venomous glare.

Astoria looked at the note. It was indeed from Nott, she ran up to read it at once.

_Astoria,  
Yes, I had heard rumors about your current residence, I figured you would confirm them for me. It seems as usual, I was right. I also wanted to let you know that I am deeply sorry about what happened to your family. They did not deserve their sentence. Daphne wouldn't hurt a fly. As for your other question, well, I have my ways . . . _

_As a matter of fact, I have been keeping in contact with Malfoy; I actually paid a visit to Malfoy Manor the other day. Next time I see him I will be sure to give your regards, I'm sure he'll greatly appreciate it. And, yes, Potter did testify for him. Don't ask me why, for I haven't a clue. _

_Speaking of clues, I recently found a job as a private detective. It's pretty boring for the most part, lots and lots of paperwork. I don't think they actually trust me with a real assignment. Oh well. At least I'm better off than most. Higgs, although not nineteen years of age, was badly injured during the final battle, so he's in St. Mungo's instead of Azkaban. I hear there are protesters lining up for miles, telling the healers to take care of someone who deserves it. _

_Harper and Baddock ran away from their homes. Can you really blame them? They were staying with the Bradstones and the Wespurts. Baddock's currently in Manchester. I'm not sure where Harper is. _

_You will be pleased* to know that the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, is doing "everything in his power" to release Azkaban's prisoners as quickly as possible. In the meantime, the Minister is trying to get rid of the dementors guarding the place. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the Ministry was less than enthusiastic about his offer. _

_*Note I say this sarcastically_

_Hang in there,_

_Theodore Nott_

* * *

As the days dragged on, the Weasleys' futile attempts to communicate with Astoria had all but stopped. Ron continued to give her the death glare, and on occasion, Molly would mumble a polite greeting, but other than that all signs of acknowledgements between her and the Weasleys remain few and far apart. Despite that fact that she was living their house, the Weasleys knew next to nothing about her, which was the way Astoria liked it.

The Slytherin girl spent nearly all of her time in her room, only coming down during meal times. She had spent countless hours reading and rereading her textbooks. Her life seemed to follow the same dull routine every day, until something happened.

It had been just short of two weeks since her arrival at the hellhole known as the Burrow. Astoria was sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast (as far away from the Weasleys as possible, she might add,) when a small Elf Owl made its way into the kitchen. This in of itself, was nothing abnormal, Pig came almost every morning to deliver the post.

Ron, who apparently had been expecting a letter, gave his owl and annoyed look. "Well, it's about time! Where the bloody hell have you been?" The owl hooted indignantly and ruffled its feathers as he helped himself to some cornflakes. Weasley rolled his eyes and took the note. He skimmed the letter quickly and made an announcement. "Mum, Dad? 'Mione's coming over for a couple of days, okay?" the way he phrased it made it sound more like a statement than a question.

Astoria nearly choked on her porridge. "The Mudblood?" she cried incredulously.

Before she even had a chance to realize what she had just said, Ron lunged at her, grabbing a handful of Astoria's robes.

Astoria drew her wand. True, it was against the rules to use magic outside of school at her age, but the Ministry had far bigger problems to worry about than underaged sorcery.

"ENOUGH!" Molly shouted, causing both teenagers to freeze. She turned to Ron. "Your behavior is completely unacceptable! Let go of Astoria's robes this instant!"

"But - -"

Astoria smirked. "Listen to your mummy, Ronald," she mocked.

Ron's face turned a rather prominent shade of pink. "But, Mum," he protested, "she called Hermione - - "

"I heard what she said!" Mrs. Weasley snapped, "But that is irrelevant. In this household, we do not strangle our guests, no matter how rude or obnoxious they are!" she turned to Astoria, who was giggling. "And you," she said, "We do not say that word in this house. Nothing, I repeat, nothing, gives you the right to speak in such a manner. I don't care how you speak at home, but as long as you live under my roof, you will follow my rules, and one of those rules is not to use obscene language such as 'Mudblood'. Understood?"

Astoria, unsure of what to say, nodded vigorously.

Satisfied, the much calmer Molly Weasley turned back to Ron. "Now, what time did you say that Hermione was going to show?"

"I dunno. As soon as she's done packing, I suppose. So she'll probably be here around - -" there was a loud CRACK outside, " - - now."

Sure enough, the heard the curly-haired brunette knock on the door only seconds later. Mrs. Weasley opened it for her and embraced the girl in a tight hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you, dear! Please, come in."

Hermione beamed when she saw Ron, and hugged him as well, which the redhead somewhat awkwardly returned. Hermione gave him a quick peck on the cheek and Ron practically melted. Astoria smirked.

"Anyway," said Hermione, "look who I brought," she held up a large pet carrier that seemed big enough to hold a dog. But as Hermione opened it, Astoria saw two cats walk out. One was orange with a round, brachycephalic face. The other, slightly slimmer and somewhat smaller, was a handsome blue-grey cat with a silky coat and stunning green eyes. Astoria guessed they were Crookshanks and Winston.

Sensing the other animals, Venus, who had previously been taking a nap, cracked one eye open sleepily, glancing at the Mudblood's pets curiously, but did not move from her spot.

Hermione turned to Astoria, grinning broadly. "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. You must be Astoria - - can I call you that? Anyway, it's nice to meet you." It extended its hand.

If Granger thought for one second that Astoria would take it, she was kidding herself. Greengrass stared at the girl's hand blankly, then said, "No, you may not address me in that way, you will call me 'Miss Greengrass', and 'Miss Greengrass' only. I don't want you near me or any of my things. I do not wish for them to be contaminated by the likes of you!" And with that, she scooped up Venus and marched up the steps to her room, not coming out for the rest of the day.

* * *

**So there you go, chapter two. I have a couple more written in my notebook that I have yet to type, but I have a very good idea of where this story is going. Still, suggestions are always welcome. Please let me know if you want anything to happen in the story. I can't promise I will use it, but I will take it into consideration. **

**Even if you don't have any suggestions, please review to let me know what you think the more reviews I get, the faster I will update. **

**Coming up, Ron throws a tantrum (what else is new?) and Hermione attempts to befriend Astoria.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Bloody hell, Hermione. Do you have to be nice to everybody?" Ron demanded.

"Ron, you aren't being fair," Hermione protested. "She's been through a lot and needs gentle support that you aren't giving to her."

"Blimey, whose side are you on? She's been nothing but trouble since she got here. I mean, you'd think she'd be at least a little grateful after all that we've done for her. Do you know what she called you?"

Hermione Granger rolled her eyes. She loved Ron, she really did. But sometimes he could be rather thick and at times, even as predjudice as some of the Slytherins. She did know what Greengrass had said about her, Ron had informed her in a (highly detailed) letter and had used some rather crude language himself.

A few years ago, Hermione would have found the word to be highly offensive, but she had grown since then. Words could no longer hurt her in the way they once could. Hermione was older now, and more mature. She was a muggle born and proud of it.

"Yes, I do. But to be quite frank, I've heard it so many times that I no longer find it offensive. And if I don't, then neither should you. Besides, if god forbid, your entire family was in prison, you wouldn't exactly be a ray of sunshine either, would you?"

Ron was indignant. "That's completely different! Her family actually did something. In fact, I'm glad they put all of those slimy snakes in Azkaban. It's where they belong – BEHIND BARS!"

Hermione was taken aback. "Does your family know you feel that way?" She knew how upset the Weasleys had been when they found out what the Ministry planned to do.

The redhead scoffed. "Of course. But what can they do about it? Nothing! I'm technically an adult now, you know."

"But not all Slytherins are bad," she pointed out. "What about Regulus? Or Andromeda? Or Slughorn? What about Snape?"

Ron waved his hand dismissively. "They're acceptions."

Hermione gave him a disbelieving look. "So you think she's evil just because she's a Slytherin?"

"'Mione, I don't think. I _know _she's evil."

"Then why did you take her in?"

"I didn't! This was all Mum and Dad's idea! If it was up to me, I wouldn't let any slimy snakes fifty miles from here."

"Ron, you shouldn't say things like that. Why don't you give her a chance? Try being nice for a change?"

"Nice? Hermione, are you listening to yourself? The girl bloody hates me! Being nice won't make a difference. Why should we do snything for her, anyway?"  
"Because it's the right thing to do. You know what? I'm going to talk to her right now. I'm sure she's a sweet girl once you get to know her."

* * *

_Mudbloods? Can you believe it? Stupid, filthy mudblood. I alwaysknew they Weasleys were scum, but this is a new low, even for them. _

_ I read the _Daily Prophet_ the other day. I heard about the riots outside Malfoy Manor. How is he, by the way? Are you still keeping in touch? If so, please tell him –_

KNOCK. KNOCK.

Astoria groaned, but opened the door. Standing there, was none other than the mudblood itself in the flesh. "Hey," it said. "Mind if I come in for a while?"

Greengrass said nothing, which Hermione took as a yes.

"I'm sorry about your family," Granger said sincerely. "Your sister and I , well, we weren't close, but I took Charms and Ancient Ruins with her."

Astoria looked up in interest. "You knew Daphne?"

"Yeah, we were partners for a project in Flitwick's class once. We got an O," she said proudly.

The other girl grunted, her interest clearly lost, and began to play with a loose thread from her skirt.

"Anyway," Granger continued, "I want you to know that I am completely opposed to what was done. Kingsley is doing everything in his power to – "

"Well, it's not enough, is it?" she snapped. "Why do you care, anyway?Why aren't you celebrating like your boyfriend?"

"Oh, Ron's not that bad once you get to know him. Honest. It's just, well . . . you _are_ a Slytherin. . . ."

"I knew it!" Astoria stood up, pointing her index finger accusingly at Hermione. "You do hate us! It's not fair. Is it illegal to hate filthy Mud—gle borns?

We're allowed to have our own opinions and think what we want!"

"Yes, you're allowed to have your own opinion," Hermione agreed, completely ignoring the girl's offensive language. "But there is a difference between thinking something about someone, and acting on it."

"Yes, and my family falls into the first category. So do the Higgs, and the Puceys, and the Baddocks, and the Vaiseys, and the Zabinis, and the majority of the Slytherins. And you think there were no Death Eaters from other Houses?" she laughed darkly. "I happen to know that the Dark Lord's right hand man was a former Gryffindor. You're just making assumptions –"

"No, we're not. We disagree with the Ministry's tactics. That's the whole point!" Now Hermione was beginning to lose her patience. Who did this girl think she was?

Astoria glared at Hermione, breathing hard. "And what about Nott? Why didn't you arrest him?"

Hermione blinked in confusion. "We did."

"No, you dudder-head! THEODORE Nott! Why is it that all of his Slytherin classmates – except for Malfoy, that is – were thrown into Azkaban without so much as a trial, but he was not only given a trial, but found not guilty?"

"He . . . he gave us information on the whereabouts of the remaining Death Eaters. He's still on parole, though," Hermione paused, unsure of whether she should be reveling such information to the girl.

Astoria rolled her eyes at the Gryffindor's failed logic. Of course Nott gave them information! What purpose would it serve him if he was locked up? His side had lost the war and he had nothing to gain from keeping quiet. What did they think? With an exception of Malfoy (and Goyle, too, she supposed, but he was too thick to tie his own shoes) none of the other Slytherins knew much more about the escaped Death Eaters' whereabouts than any Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Malfoy, of course, would never sink low enough to grovel for forgiveness. But Nott, Nott was much cleverer than that. He observed others from a distance to find out all he could about them, and then, when the timing was right, he would use the information to his advantage. Theodore didn't mind putting on a show if necessary. If he really wanted, Nott knew how to tug at the gheartstrings. No wonder he got away. Astoria smirked, trying to picture Theodore playing the role of a confused, naïve child. Malfoy would have porobably viewed the boy's actions as betrayal, but in reality Nott was merely being loyal to the one person he cared about: himself.

* * *

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Hermione exited the room. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe she shouldn't have even bothered trying.

Yet, at the same time she had made some sort of breakthrough, hadn't she? She still managed to get the Slytherin, however grudgingly, to converse about her true feelings of the matter. In Astoria's eyes, they were the villans, keeping her against her will. But that wasn't true, no they couldn't have been the bad guys, could they?

* * *

Hermione made her way down the stairs where she met up with Ron, who was sitting at the kitchen table and laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

Ron, who was giggling too hard to speak, held up the _Dailey Prophet_ for Hermione to see.

_Riots Increase in Front of Malfoy Manor!_

_ By: Dennis Creevey_

"He got a summer job as a reporter," Ron explained, upon seeing his girlfriend's puzzled expression.

_When eighteen-year-old Draco Malfoy was aquitted by Harry Potter last month, he was far from off the hook. Both of Draco's parents, Lucius, 44, and Narcissa, 43, have been sentenced to Azkaban Prison for an indertermined time (normally the sentence for a Death Eater would be two to six lifetimes, but with Narcissa's heroic actions towards the end of the war, their sentences have been significantly reduce, by how much remains to be seen.)_

_ Mr. Potter also insisted that Draco release his family's twenty-seven house elves on account of abuse and inhumane treatment. Malfoy Junior has also been fined for a total sum of over one thousand galleons for other instances of cruelty and illegal activities. _

_ Still, some say that Malfoy has gotten off too easily. There have been countless anti-Malfoy riots throughout England. Some of the larger riots have taken place in London, Diagon and Knockturn Alley, Hogsmead, Somerset, Bristol, Dorset, and the Greater Manchester Area (protesters in Didsbury are said to be dangerous, approach with caution.) _

_ Of course the most violent outbreaks have taken place in Wiltshire outside of Malfoy Manor itself. They cannot physically nter the house due to magical borders and numerous legal restrictions. Rioters there have twenty-four hours shifts, forcing Malfoy stay indoors at all times. In fact, the one time he dared to step out, the boy was hit with at least a dozen different spells, hexes, and curses before immediately running back into the safety of his home. Due to his quick retreat, the extent of the damage remains unknown. _

_ So far the Ministry refuses to interfere, claiming that the people have every right to express their anger. When asked whether the protesters' magical attack on the boy, the Ministry had no comment. _

_ Potter, too, seems to believe this is only a phase. "They'll leave him alone soon enough," he told me. "When they see that he's not reacting, they'll get bored and move on with their lives. (Now go away, Dennis. I'm in the shower!)" _

_ Others, however, including myself are rather skeptical. The riots have ben going on for over a month. Yesterday morning I spoke to Megan Jones, 18, a half-blood, Hufflepuff who recently graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. _

_ "I've lost all of my family to the Malfoys," Megan said. "I'm not leaving (their property) until justice is done!" _

_ Malfoy has kept to himself inside the manor ever since the incident, but without parents or servants to give him support or supplize, it is unknown how much longer he can last. _

_ "He'll have to come out eventually," said Jones, "and when he does, I'll be ready."_

Hermione looked up from the paper. Ron was still laughing. "How exactly is this funny?"

"Don't you see? That ferret's finally getting what he deserves!" Ron was beaming. "It's like that thing Patil always talks about – what comes around, goes around. Corma!"

"That's _karma,_ Ron."

"Eh. Same difference."

Hermione glanced back at the article. Something about it was irking her. If Malfoy hadn't left the house, and he wasn't getting help, then how was he surviving, if at all. Even if he was alive, how much longer could he last? The boy had never lifted a finger in his life, he wouldn't know the first thing about taking care of himself. That brought another chilling thought. Was it possible that Draco died in there and nobody knew about it? Hermione never liked Malfoy, but the thought of anybody slowly wasting away from starvation as a prisoner in their own home was awful. Malfoy couldn't be all bad, his mother had saved Harry's life, after all.

Yet again, could she really blame Ron for hating Slytherins? After all, it had been Nott who'd killed Fred.

* * *

Astoria read the Daily Prophet every day for a week. The riots began to lessen, but nobody had seen Draco in days. The only way they could tell he was alive was by the smoke coming from the chimney.

Towards the end of July, the Weasleys announced that they were throwing Harry Potter a party for his eighteenth birthday, and within two days, the Burrow was completely transformed. Decorations hung from every corner. Even Astoria helped set up a bit (seeing as she had nothing better to do.)

"I will be staying in my room during the party," she told them. Astoria had meant it, too. Why should she go? It wasn't her company, they weren't her friends. She'd just feel out of place.

It was not until the night of July 30, that she was given a reason to go.

* * *

"Story? Psst, Story!" someone nudged her awake.

"Wh-what?" Astoria demanded, still half asleep. As her mind began to wake up, she began to wonder who this person was and why he was in her room. Then it hit her: only one person ever called her Story. Nott. Once she had made the connection, the second question arose. "What are you doing here?" she hissed. "How did you even get in?"

The older boy shrugged. "I apparated in front of the house. Obviously I couldn't do so directly in. The door was locked, but nothing that a little magic couldn't fix."

"Okay, fine. And since I doubt you came for a cup of tea, why are you here?"

Theodore's face suddenly grew tense. "Malfoy needs your help."

Had Astoria been drnking something at that very moment, an epic spit take would have taken place, but instead she just stared at the boy in shock. Malfoy needed her help? Now_ there_ was a first! Yet again, Malfoy needing **anybody's **help was a first.

"Malfoy needs my help? With what?"

"You're good at healing, right?"

Astoria nodded. Healing charms were a specialty of hers. "But why would –"

"There's no time to explain! Just grab my arm!"

Astoria complied, and Theodore apparated away into the night.

* * *

**Bum bum bum! What will happen next? Only I know! **

**Please review!**


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